Political candidates are trying to reach young voters through social media

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (KY3) – In these final days before the election, candidates are making one last message to voters.

Some prefer to communicate with voters on social networks.

Social networks have become a powerful tool for interacting with voters. Politicians and even political campaigns are using internet trends and memes to connect with new audiences.

Saint Louis University assistant professor Keli Jackson said the use of social media in political campaigns was popularized by the Obama campaign, but has exploded in recent years, overtaking traditional media such as advertising and physical signage.

“People shouldn’t assume that young people are disconnected, disengaged or disinterested because they don’t engage with traditional media,” Jackson said. “They are interesting and it happens online.”

Jackson said she has watched both major political parties improve social media in different ways. While Republicans tend to use social media as a way to communicate directly with voters; Democrats tend to play to the trends of influencers and celebrities.

“We’re seeing both parties engaging in meme wars online as well, and this is a way that social media is being fully leveraged to reach younger voters of both parties,” Jackson said.

Unfortunately, Jackson said there is a downside to social media’s role in politics. The anonymity of the Internet may contribute to the divisions we see in politics, as people feel more comfortable attacking others online.

Young voters like Charlie Dahlgren are participating in the election cycle differently.

“Given the amount of time I spend on social media, it’s hard to deny that at least some of the content I consume comes from social media,” Dahlgren said.

While they are active on social media, some first-time voters like Landis Canada say it’s not the only way to get information.

“I kind of talk to my family a lot about this, and that’s the way it is, because my family’s views are very different, and so I kind of get information through that and just through my own research,” Canada said.

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